The goals of this research are (1) to describe the processes of adaptations to college and the psychological changes during college of ethnic minority students who are the first generation in their family to attend college, (2) to test hypotheses regarding the variables that influence these processes, and (3) to develop and test models of the ways in which cultural variables and individual differences interact with the demands of the university to influence these processes and the resulting educational and psychological outcomes. The American, African American, and European American) over their college careers, using a multi-method process-oriented approach. Quantitative and qualitative data will be gathered from standardized scales and survey instruments, interviews, and official academic records. The study will test the hypotheses that differences in values between the home and the university contribute to the academic difficulties of students but that education and psychological outcomes are mediated by students' ways of dealing with difficulties. In addition to testing specific hypotheses based on prior research with largely European American middle class in prior research. The study will yield information about the university experiences of minority first- generation college students, bout their approaches to dealing with the challenges posed by the university context, and about the relationship of these processes to educational and psychological outcomes. This information will add to our theoretical understanding of development in young adults from diverse backgrounds and provide an understanding of promoting the educational success and psychological well-being of these individuals.